An explosion occurred during Friday prayers at the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighborhood of Homs, Syria. The incident resulted in the deaths of at least eight individuals and injuries to 18 others, as reported by the health ministry. The Wadi al-Dhahab area is predominantly inhabited by members of the Alawite ethnoreligious group.
Security sources, cited by Sana, indicated that an explosive device was detonated inside the mosque. Photographs released by Syria's state-run news agency, Sana, depicted damage within the mosque, including scorched walls, shattered windows, and bloodstains on the carpet.
The jihadist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah claimed responsibility for the attack. The group stated that the operation was carried out in collaboration with another unidentified entity, utilizing explosives planted at the site.
Syria's Foreign Ministry issued a statement via X condemning the event, characterizing it as a "terrorist crime" and an "assault on human and moral values" aimed at disrupting the country's "security and stability."
Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, identified as a Sunni extremist organization, gained prominence in June following a claim of responsibility for a deadly church bombing in Damascus. The group's affiliations and origins have led to speculation among observers, with some suggesting a potential link to the Islamic State group (IS) due to similarities in their operational targets and public messaging.
This incident follows a period of reduced claimed attacks by Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah. Previously, the group's alleged operations primarily involved targeted killings of minority groups and individuals described as "remnants" of the former Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad.
The explosion in Homs takes place approximately one year after Syrian rebel forces overthrew the Assad government. Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite, belongs to a sect that is an offshoot of Shia Islam and constitutes one of Syria's largest religious minorities. Following his overthrow, Assad and his family received asylum in Russia.
Since the government's overthrow, Syria has experienced multiple instances of sectarian violence. The Alawite community has reportedly faced increased fears of reprisal and instances of crackdowns. In March, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a war monitoring group, reported accusations against security forces regarding the deaths of dozens of Alawites in the coastal province of Latakia.